


Eclipse

by NerdKenz2001



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Team, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Stubborn Katara (Avatar), Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team Fluff, Team as Family, Yue and Zuko Friendship, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko Raised by Arnook, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdKenz2001/pseuds/NerdKenz2001
Summary: One day, while hunting for food, Arnook and his crew found a small boat that held a corpse and a young, scarred baby.Arnook decided that he will raise the baby as his own.This is the story of the Northern Water Tribe Prince, and his name is Zuko.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Arnook & Yue (Avatar), Arnook & Zuko (Avatar), Arnook (Avatar) & Other(s), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko, Yue & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 423





	Eclipse

Pakku sighed in annoyance as he and his fishing crew sailed through the ice infested water near the frozen tundra where they live. They already filled three fishing boats full of food but Chief Arnook had insisted on filling up a forth boat because Korra was going to give birth any minute, and Arnook wanted to throw a banquet in honor of the new heir.

”Hey!” Voduq, a young man of fifteen summers, called out. “I see a boat with a tarp over it! I can hear something coming from here!”

”Reel it in,” Pakku said. “But make sure you have your weapons at the ready.”

The others yelled their confirmation and Pakku made his arms flow smoothly and lifted the small boat into their fishing boat. It was silent until they heard a baby’s cry rang out from underneath the tarp covered boat. The fisherman and warriors stared at each other in confusion before Arnook took his spear, and removed the tarp. The smell that hit them was a horrible one. It was the smell of when it took them a few days to return home and their catch grew old.

The sent of death.

Arnook covered his nose with his parka and walked towards the death emitting boat. Before he could peek, the baby cry came from it.

”Sir?” Arnook shook his head and looked into the boat. What greeted him was the rotting corpse of a female Fire Nation guard who was gripping the basket that held an infant with his left eye and ear wrapped in bandages. The baby was staring at Arnook with watery eyes but that wasn’t what he was focused on. No, he was focused on the bright, golden, bandages eye that the baby sported. The babe was Fire Nation and the Fire Nation we’re enemies of the Water Tribe.

”We have a problem,” he stated as he picked up the confused infant. He walked over to the others and explained the dilemma.

”You can’t be serious about murdering a child!” Parnok, a twenty year old, cried out. “It’s-“

”That child has the eyes of those who we have been avoiding for a hundred years! Besides, the child is already suffering due to the magnitude of that wound,” Pakku snapped. “It would be better to end its suffering!”

”You can’t be-“

”I am!” The men on the ship were arguing about what to do about the baby all the way until night. The moon was full that night so the water benders of the group felt stronger, but Arnook paid no attention to them. He paid attention to the light of the moon that shone on the baby, and nothing else.

”Enough!” They turned towards Arnook and Froze when they saw the moonlight illuminating the small child. Tui has spoken and told them to spare the child. Why? They have no clue but none the less, they listened to the moon spirit.

”Set a course for home,” Arnook commanded. The warriors nodded and quickly ran to their positions. The baby, who was silent this whole time, started to giggle and grab ahold of of the Chief’s braids. As the infant moved around, the blanket revealed a tag stitched in the piece of cloth. Arnook raised an eyebrow as he read it. “So your name is Zuko?”

The baby started to wiggle in happiness an Arnook chuckled. He waved his finger in front of Zuko’s face as the baby tried to grab ahold of it.

”How would Korro feel about the new addition?” Pakku asked from beside his chief.

”Who said that I’m the one taking him in?” Arnook asked with a raised eyebrow. The old water bender sorted and gave him a pointed look.

”Please,” he scoffed. “I just saw you smiling fondly at the baby.”

Arnook flushed and gave a glare to his long time friend, andPakku laughed. The older man just smacked him on the shoulder and told him that he’ll try to find another crib, as well as other infant supplies.

 _’Tui and La,’_ Arnook thought. _‘Where going to have twins basically.’_

...

Korro stared at her husband as he explained that it was up to her if she wanted to take in a child while she was pregnant with their child. The baby just slept peacefully in Arnook’s arms as the two talked.

”Let me see him,” she stated without revealing her inner thoughts. Her husband just nodded and put the clumsily wrapped infant into the expecting mother’s arms. Even with the exchange, Zuko remained asleep, and even buried himself into the warmth that radiated off Korro. “Has he been seen by Yogoda?”

”No, since we-“

”Well, get her! This child is chilled to the bone!” Korro snapped and wrapped a spare parka around the sleeping boy. Arnook nodded and ran off to get the veteran healer.

Korro cradled the Fire Nation infant close to her chest and cooed at him. She’ll raise him to me a member of the Water Tribe. He won’t be corrupted and he’ll be raised as their son, but how will the other villagers react?

”She’s here!” Arnook called out when he came back with Healer Yogada trailing behind him. He turned to the experienced healer. “This is the infant we found in the boat at sea. We believe he is from the Fire Nation.”

Togada hummed in response and took the wrapped baby in order to examine him. She gently removed the bandages that covered the left eye and ear, and she grimaced when she uncovered the wound. “The fat the child survived the wound is a miracle, but infection has started to set in.”

”Can you help?” Arnook asked and as a result, Togoda gave him a raised eyebrow. Arnook rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish. She seemed to accept that and informed them that she’ll need her healing creams from her tent.

“KeeP him close to the hearth. Since we don’t know if he will be a bender or not, and you need to keep fire benders warm or they will die.” The two nodded and Arnook grabbed a spare blanket so that he could sit Zuko close to the fire.

”Dear,” Korro called from next to her husband. “What are you thinking? Is is about his Fire Nation roots? Or is it the wound?”

”How could they harm an infant? does their cruelty know no bounds?” His brow farrowed in concern and watched as the baby start to whine? Was he weened? Would he drink the milk his wife provided?

”I believe we might be in over our heads, and raising two babies? One we don’t have any information about.”

”We’ll find a way,” Korro said as she wrapped her arms around her husband. “We always find a way.”

* * *

Pakku stared at the chubby Fire Nation baby as he wiggled around on the floor. He was forced by his chief to watch the infant as Arnook talked to the other elders. They were discussing if they should allow Zuko into the line of succession since he is officially the son of Arnook and Korro, but he is not of their blood.

”bah!” Pakku raised an eyebrow at the baby who gave him a glare in response. “bah!”

”Do you require something?” The baby just wiggled around on his back angrily until he used his momentum to roll over on his back. Pakku just sat there frozen and watched as Zuko continued to transition between his back and stomach. By the time Pakku snapped out of it, Zuko was in the kitchen.

The old after bending master quickly ran to the boy and picked him up, and glared at the wiggly baby. “You and me aren’t going to get along, are me?”

Zuko just blew a spit bubble at the man and ended up getting it on his parka.

”This is war,” Pakku growled.

”rah!”

...

Arnook let his pregnant wife to their front door when they heard a crash and Pakku yelling curses. This worried the chief as he burst into their living quarters, but the sight that greeted him was not of an intruder. It was the sight of his old friend covered in...stuff while he tried to get Zuko to stop throwing things.

Arnook cleared his throat to get Pakku’s attention, and the water bender glared at his Chief. He stomped over to Arnook and shoved the new tired infant into his adoptive father’s arms. “Take this menace!” 

He stomped out of the home and he left the two expecting parents before lamming the door close. Korro looked at Zuko with confusion etched on her face, but the baby just slept peacefully in her husbands arms. “Do we want to know?”

”Probably not,” Arnook shrugged. The two had servants fix up their living quarters and start on dinner as they placed Zuko into his crib that Pakku he brought over to them.

”Did they make a depiction?” Korro, who was at the healers all day, asked her husband as she started as she started to knit a blanket. Arnook nodded and explained their choice to his wife.

”He will have the rights of the tribal prince, but he will not become the next chief of our people.” Korro nodded and asked another question. 

“What will happen if he turns out to be... a fire bender?” Arnook sighed and informed her that the council of elders have decided that he wouldn’t be treated any different then if he were a water bender. Korro smiled at that and continued to knit.

* * *

Somewhere, on the battlefront, sat the infamous Dragon of the West as he read with a heavy heart about how his brother cast out his child because he believed that the child didn’t have the spark that indicated that Agni had blessed him. It broke his heart that such a young life was snuffed out before it had a chance to begin. His own son would be heartbroken since he was excited to meet the child.

“General Iroh?” One of his underlings Asked from the doorway asked. “Your orders, sir?”

”Continue our course,” he stated while his thoughts started to race. What did his father think of this development. Azulon was adamant that Ozai had a child to stabilize the line of succession, but for Ozai to kill his only child?

This isn’t good.

* * *

Arnook was tired. Sure, Zuko slept through the night but when he did wake up, he made sure he was known. For something so small, he sure had a set of lungs.

Zuko was pawing at the bandages that were on is face. He must have flare ups at night. Poor thing. Arnook opened up a jar full of pain medication for infants an poured a little bit into a bottle of milk that a goatcow provided. The might not have farmable land, but they do have reserves f supplies from when thy travel to Earth Kingdom ports.

He tried to put the bottle up to Zuko’s mouth, but he kept moving his head to avoid it. He just kept crying in pain and Arnook couldn’t help him. “Please, little one. Drink your bottle. It’ll make you feel better...”

”Arnook?” His wife asked from the doorway of the nursery. “Is Zuko alright?”

“He won’t the the medicine,” he explained. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

”Korro giggled and took Zuko into her arms. he seemed to calm dow slightly when he was transferred but he still whimpered in pain. ”All it took is a mother’s touch.”

Arnook chuckled and bent down to look at Zuko as the infant drank his bottle. “Are you trying to steal my wife? That’s treasonous.” Korro laughed and Zuko Just stared blankly as he ate.

”are you threatening him because I find him to be cuter than you?” His wife okey and the chief of the Northern Water Tribe put on a serious face and nodded.

”I will fight him for your hand.” She just shook her head and sat down in a rocking chair.

”He’s such a good baby.” Arnook shook his head and told her to tell that to Pakku. He rubbed the back of his neck and explained that he might need to buy him a new parka. She snorted and laughed in response. “Pakku has a phobia of babies.”

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me in a dream.
> 
> https://discord.gg/hkUPneP


End file.
